Announcements

Special Occasions announcements, published every Sunday inside the Good Life section of the Daily Press, are a great way to give notice of significant events in your and your loved ones' lives. Click here to view an archive of the Special Occasions published in the Daily Press. To place a Special Occasions announcement, e-mail soccasions@dailypress.com , or mail to 7505 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23607, to the attention of Lore McDonald. Questions? Please call 757-247-4780.

Virginia is taking additional steps to strengthen the level of preparedness for the Ebola virus by mobilizing a statewide unified command group, which will be responsible for coordinating resources and personnel, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Friday in a statement. The group will be composed of officials from the governor's office, Department of Health, Department of Emergency Management, State Police, Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation, Virginia National Guard, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and others.

Just as local voters finish digesting the results of the 1994 political campaign, the first election fight of 1995 is brewing. Two Newport News Republicans announced Tuesday evening their intentions to challenge state Sen. Hunter Andrews, D-Hampton, this fall. Vice Mayor Marty Williams and former School Board member John Gill both hope to win the Republican nomination to the 1st District Senate seat, which represents portions of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and York County.

ISLE OF WIGHT – Isle of Wight School Board member Tina Hill announced in an email to the schools' superintendent and the board's chairwoman last week that she will be stepping down by the end of the year. The board will be looking to appoint someone to fill the Hardy District seat once she has officially vacated the seat. Hill won the Hardy District seat last year after board member Herb DeGroft decided not to run in the wake of a scandal involving exchanging emails with racist jokes with other county officials.

CROUSE-WATERS Mr. and Mrs. James F. Crouse of Newport News, Va., are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Miss Danielle Crouse, to Mr. Brian Waters, son of Mr. and Mrs. Danny Waters of Christiansburg, Va. Miss Crouse is a teacher with Head Start in Harrisonburg, Va. Mr. Waters is employed as a landscaper with Fine Earth Landscaping in Harrisonburg. A July 24, 1999, wedding is planned in Harrisonburg.

Virginia gave itself a tough act to follow in 1998. State economic development officials announced 47,653 jobs through new operations or expansions in the next 30 months, shattering the record of 30,810 set in 1995. The 1998 figure was more than double 1997's total. The new business locations and expansions pledged $2.1 billion in capital investment, the state Eco-nomic Development Partnership said. The state enjoyed low unemployment figures throughout the year, in concert with a vibrant national economy.

Mary, Hampton: The people that are wondering about "Boondocks" and what it's all about. I love it. I love "Boondocks." I think that Monday's comic just says it all. I thank you, Daily Press. I love the newspaper. I miss Jim Spencer, and I appreciate everybody else who's there. I am curious as to how you select wedding announcements to be printed. Some are months old, and others occurred the previous day. Editor: We don't select wedding announcements to be printed. Our customers bring us the information and pay for the space that they fill in the newspaper.

The Oct. 26 issue of Splash! will have a list of Halloween happenings. If your organization is planning a Halloween event that is open to the public, let us know by Friday so it can be included in the list. Send announcements to : Splash! Halloween calendar Daily Press 7505 Warwick Blvd. MP 1203 Newport News, 23607. Announcements must be received at the Daily Press by Friday. Call 247-4773 with information or it can be faxed to the paper at 245-8618.

NEWPORT NEWS - Three new tenants have signed leases to join a long anticipated retail development in Newport News. Virginia Beach-based Divaris Real Estate announced Tuesday that First Watch restaurant, Point 2 Running Company and a large-scale fitness center have executed leases to join the 230,000-square-foot Marketplace at Tech Center development in a news release. First Watch, a Florida-based eatery known for its breakfast, brunch and lunch specials, will open its first Hampton Roads location in the Newport News development, the release said.

Colleges: Football: Old Dominion and Massachusetts announced a two-game series, with a game Oct. 1, 2016, in Norfolk and a rematch Sept. 9, 2017, in Amherst, Mass. ODU added to a 2016 non-conference schedule that also includes games at Appalachian State and N.C. State. ... ODU, coached by Bobby Wilder , signed his 6-foot-1, 225-pound son, Derek, to a scholarship. The Maury High standout, a 3.7 grade-point average student, will begin his college career as a linebacker, though he also plays tight end for the Commodores.

When tragedy strikes at a race track, as it did when Tony Stewart's sprint car struck and killed competitor Kevin Ward Jr. during a caution period at a dirt track in upstate New York last Saturday, it sends a shudder through the entire racing world. Many in racing have felt the impact because in Stewart and Ward they see themselves or someone close to them. That kind of pain has prompted thoughtful reflection from several in the Langley Speedway community, rather than rapid-fire posts in the Twitter-sphere.

Colleges: Men's basketball: Virginia and Virginia Tech will play back-to-back in road games Dec. 3 during the 16th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Virginia Tech will play at Penn State at 7:15 p.m. on ESPNU, then U.Va. will play its former ACC rival Maryland at 9:15 on ESPN2. Women's soccer: The Big South preseason poll listed the only three teams from Virginia as the top three: Liberty was a unanimous pick for first, followed by Radford and Longwood . Tennis: Albon Yowell of Williamsburg won two straight-sets matches to reach the boys 14-and-under final of the Newport News Open, a Level 5 event that's part of the Georgia-based Tennis Recruiting Network National Showcase Series.

With Old Dominion's announcement that a third football game against North Carolina State is finalized, school officials now work to bolster future non-conference schedules with attractive regional and national matchups. ODU's 2015 schedule is complete and the Monarchs have seven dates lined up against Virginia Tech, beginning in 2017. School officials hope to schedule games versus East Carolina and Virginia, as they embark on their first season in Conference USA. "I feel great where we are, in terms of scheduling," ODU athletic director Wood Selig said.

Newport News-based Riverside Health System has announced a security breach at Cancer Specialists of Tidewater, a Riverside-owned practice with offices in Virginia Beach, Suffolk and Chesapeake. More than 2,000 patients have potentially been affected by a team member accused of identity theft. The female employee charged, a medical assistant at the practice from August 2012 to June 2014, is no longer employed by Riverside. The health system says it is assisting the Chesapeake Police Department in an investigation.

By Robert Brauchle, rbrauchle@dailypress.com and By Robert Brauchle, rbrauchle@dailypress.com | July 17, 2014

HAMPTON - A pair of commercial fishing boats rest on a placid Chesapeake Bay in this year's winner of the Hampton Bay days poster contest. Artist Darlene Thiele Mundy used her childhood memories of the bay to craft her winning image. "Growing up, I was blessed to have had the opportunity to take full advantage of the splendor of the bay. "Fishing, crabbing, sailing and watching the commercial fishermen come and go in their brightly painted boats are just some of my fond childhood memories of the bay as a child," Mundy said in a news release.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe has called a press conference for 11:30 a.m. Friday to discuss the state budget. The General Assembly is waiting on the governor to sign, veto or attempt to amend the budget they passed last week, and McAuliffe has until Sunday under the state constitution to make his decisions. The House of Delegates plans to go into session Monday and will deal with any changes the governor makes. There are a number of options under the state constitution, depending on what McAuliffe does, and both sides have lawyers at the ready to argue their sides in what still could be a protracted battle over the budget and Medicaid expansion.